Longhorns announce basketball schedule

The University of Texas has set its men’s basketball slate for the 2009-10 season and it includes a home date with Michigan State, a date with defending national champion North Carolina at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and games at Connecticut and Arkansas.

In all, the Longhorns will play at least nine teams that played in the NCAA tournament this past season: UConn, Kansas, Michigan State, Missouri, UNC, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Southern California.

Texas, which returns four starters from a team that was 23-12, opens the season Nov. 15 at home against UC Irvine at 1 p.m. It faces USC at home on Dec. 3 and meets the Tar Heels in Arlington on Dec. 19. Michigan State will be in Austin on Dec. 22.

The Longhorns travel to Arkansas on Jan. 5 before opening Big 12 play against Colorado in Austin on Jan. 9. Kansas comes to Austin on Feb. 8 and their games with Texas A&M will be Jan. 16 in Austin and Feb. 27 in College Station.

The Oklahoma games will be Feb. 6 in Norman, Okla., and March 1 in Austin.